In the modern world the vast majority of clothing is made from woven fabrics, and the art of weaving is many centuries old. Indeed the invention of weaving is generally attributed to the Ancient Egyptians. Yarns were produced from natural cotton, wool, or linen fibers, and garments made from fabrics woven from these yarns often creased badly in wear and, when washed, required considerable time and effort with a smoothing iron to restore them to a pristine appearance.
Within the last half century, textile manufacturers have implemented two major improvements in wash-and-wear garments: (1) the use of crosslinking resins on cotton containing garments, and (2) the use of synthetics and synthetic blends. Although these two implementations have made major strides in reducing the wrinkling of a garment, consumers are still dissatisfied with the results and feel a need to iron.
The term "ease of ironing and improved appearance after ironing" as used herein means that a fabric requires less effort to iron (i.e., improved glide of the iron and wrinkles are removed more easily) and has less wrinkles after a special cleaning operation followed by ironing than it would otherwise have after an ordinary cleaning operation and ironing.
Starch has been used for many years in fabric treatment to restore and retain them in a pristine appearance.